Curtain-fixture.



No. 826,023. PATBNTED JULY 17, 1906.

. H. H. PoRsYTH.

GURTMN FIXTURE. APPLICATION FILED JULY13, 1901.

STATES PATEN OFFICE.

HENRY H. FORSYTI-I, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR rIO THE CURTAIN SUPPLY COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION lOF NEW JERSEY,

CURTAIN-FIXTURE.

Patented July 17, 11906.

Application filed July 13, 1901. Serial No. 68,215.

To all whom, it may concern.

Be it known that I, HENRY H. FoRsYTH, of Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CurtaineFiX- tures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a curtain-fixture designed to hold the lower end of a spring-ac tuated curtain in any adjusted position; and it-consists .in the novel construction and combination vof .devices hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out .in the claims.

The underlying principle of my invention consists in' a fixture having a device which is brought into action when the curtain is released or yis being raised and which is thrown out of action while the shade is being drawn down, such dev-ice exerting a restraining influence upon the upward movement of the shade, while being wholly or partially out of action when the shade is drawn down.

My invention may be embodied in a number of practical ways, but I preferably employ wheels y,or rollers journaled in a head carried by the shade and brake-surfaces adjacent thereto, the roller and the brake being adapted for relative bodily movement andl so arranged that they are out of contact when the curtain vis being drawn down, but are drawn into contact when the curtain is being raised .and when it is released. To accomplish this result, the rollers may be mounted upon journals in elongated bearings and the brakes may be stationary, or the rollers may be stationaryand a movable brake employed. In 4my improved iiXture the application and release of the 'brake are both automatic and are causednby vthe pull of the curtain-actuatingspring during the upward movement of zthe curtain and by the neutralization or overcoming of the power of said spring when the-curtain is drawn down.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an velevationshowing a fragmentary portion of 4a window shade or curtain and a part of the frame .of a window, .the curtain-stick be-' ing broken away to expose the sliding rod and sprin .and .the head showing in elevation, .the rakes being indicated by 'dotted lines. Fig. 2 is an edge view of one of the heads, showing the rollers and brakes. Figs. 3 and 4 show, respectively, in side elevation and in edge view ,a modified construction wherein three rollers are .employed in .each head, two of said .rollers being ad ted .to contact with .brakes andone of .the ro lers [heing an anti-friction-roller. Figs. .5 v.and .6 .are similar views .of a form of construction wherein a ,single roller is .employed at .each end of the head, the .lower 4roller having .a brake applied thereto.

In the drawings let 7 represent the shade or curtain; 8, the hollow curtain-stick; .9, `a sliding rod `mounted therein; .10, .an Kout wardly-thrusting spring, .and l1 .the .shank V.of the head 12. vSaid head is representadas heing constructed hollow .and .of metal .and is intended to ,carry .the .rollers and bra'ke .devices.

In the construction shown in Figs. il and 2 the rollers 13 are mounted on .opposite sides of the axis of the spring 1.0 and near the ends of the head 12. These rollers have journals 14 mounted in elongated slots 15 which ,permit the rollers .to have .a :bodily movement lengthwise of the heads. lrepresents'brake shoes .or blocks, which .are located within the hollow of the heads below the rollers. It be understood .that the :curtain is held taut by the power of the actuating-.spring ofthe roller on which the .curtain is mounted .and that said actuating-spring .exerts a .constant tendencyto roll up the curtain. The rollers 13 are so mounted in relation yto `the brake-surfaces that the pull ofthe actuatingspring of the roller when the `curtain is .stationary or when ,it is being moved upward will be suflicien-t .to .move said rollers .intocontact with the brake-surfaces, so that said rollers become, in edera, .friction devices, which restrain the `curtain and hold 'it in vany adjusted position, .and .the `power .of the outwardly-thrusting spring will .be so proportioned as' to make said frictioneffective. In pulling down .the `curtain the rollers are moved away from the surfaces .of-.the brakes, said rollers .constituting .antifriction-gulides.

In the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 an additional roller 17 is .'ernployed, serving as an antifriction means, and .the lbrake-4 blocks .16 are mere pins.

In the construction shown in Figs. 5 and .6

no brake is provided for Ithe .upper roller, Iand said-roller is not `bodily movable, and therefore constitutes an antifriction device at all times; but the necessary friction is obtained by means of a special form of brake 18, which contacts with the lower roller 19, which is likewise mounted on a fixed bearing. The brake in this case is movable, being pivoted at 18a, and one end thereof protrudes into line with the edge of the roller 19, so as to make contact with the window-frame. When the curtain is drawn up with this construction, the brake 18 contacts with the surface of the roller 19, and, if preferred, these contacting surfaces may be serrated or toothed; but the brake being eccentrically pivoted would under the stress of the rollerspring make such contact with the window-frame as to cause it to bind tightly upon the surface of the roller, and the latter acts as a friction device. These and other modifications are within the scope of my invention.

. I claim- 1. In a curtain-fixture the combination with a curtain-stick, of an elongated head mounted transversely on the end of the stick, an antifriction-roller carried by the head and having both rotary and bodily movement therein, and said head having a fixed brakesurface with'which `the roller engages upon the upward movement of the curtain, substantially as described.

2. In av curtain-fixture the combination with a curtain-stick and the shade carrying the same, of a head carried by the stick, antifriction-rollers carried by the head, and means carried by the head for preventing the rotation of a roll upon the upward movement and permitting its rotation upon the downward movement of the head.

3. In a curtain-fixture, the combination with a curtain and a stick, of a roller carried by the stick adapted to bear upon a fixed part of the window and a brake adjacent to said roller, said roller and said brake having -relative movement and so placed relative to each other as to be held in engagement during the upward movement of the curtain and to be automatically disengaged by the downward movementthereof, substantially as described.

4. In a curtain-fixture for spring-actuated shades, the combination with a curtain and a stick, of a roller carried by this stick adapted to contact with the window frame, and a brake therefor, said brake being so placed as to be applied by the upward pull of the curtain-actuating spring and to be automatically released upon the downward movement of the curtain, substantially as described.

5. In a curtain-fixture for spring-actuated shades, the combination with a curtain, a stick, and a head carried by this stick, of a roller journaled in the head and a fixed brake adjacent to said roller, said roller being bodily movable toward and from the brake and so placed that when the curtain is raised it. will be moved into'contact with the brake and when the curtain is lowered it willbe released therefrom, substantially as described.

6. In a curtain-fixture for spring-actuated shades, the combination with a curtain, a stick, an elongated head and an outwardlythrusting spring therefor, of rollers mounted in said head toward opposite ends thereof, brakes adjacent to said rollers and the latter having bodily movement toward and from said brakes whereby, when the curtain is raised, the brakes are applied and when the curtain is drawn down the brakes are released, substantially as described.

7. In a curtain-fixture, for spring-actuated shades, the combination with a curtain and a curtain-stick, of heads carried thereby said heads having slots affording elongated bearings, rollers having journals mounted in said slots and capable of both rotary and bodily movement therein, and stationary brakes carried by the heads with which the rollers contact when the curtain is released, Whereby said rollers become friction devices, substantially as described.

8. In a curtain-fixture, the combination with a stick, of a head carried by the stick, antifriction means carried by the head, and means for transforming the antifriction means into friction means upon the upward movement of the head, one of said means being fixed and the other movable, and said means acting automatically to permit the free downward movement of the curtain.

9. In a curtain-holding device, the combination of a curtain and a stick, heads at the ends of the stick having slots serving as elongated bearings, rollers or wheels mounted in the slots, havin rotary movement in said slots and bodi y movement along said slots, the heads having immovable arts ad-` jacent to the rollers or wheels with w ich said rollers or wheels contact when the curtain is moving upwardly whereby they may act as friction-surfaces, substantially as described.

10. In a curtairnfixture, a spring-actuated curtain, a guideway adjacent said curtain, a shoe mounted on said curtain, a movable guiding member mounted in said shoe to engage said guideway, and means cooperating with said guiding member to automatically vary the freedom of movement of the guiding member along said guideway upon a change in the direction of movement of the fixture.

11. In a curtain-fixture, a spring-actuated curtain, a guideway adjacent said curtain, a shoe mounted on said curtain to coperate with said guideway, a movable guiding member mounted in' said shoe to engage said guideway, and means cooperating with said guiding member to automatically vary the freedom of movement of the guiding member along said guideway, as its direction of movement is changed.

12. In a curtain-fixture, a shoe comprising IOO IIS

a rotary guiding member to engage a guideway and be rotated thereby and means coacting with said guiding member to automatically vary the freedom of movement of said guiding member, to allow said guiding member to move more freely along said guideway in one direction than in the other direction.

13. In a curtain-fixture, a shoe to coperate with a guideway and comprising a slot formed in said shoe and a guide-roll loosely pivoted in said slot to engage said guideway and means on said shoe to be engaged by said guide-roll to allow the said guide-roll to have a greater freedom of movement along said guideway in one direction than in the other direction.

14. In a curtain-fixture, a shoe to coperate with a guideway, there being slots in said shoe, pivoted guide-rolls loosely mounted `in said slots to engage said guideway and means coperating with said guide-rolls to automatically vary the freedom of movement of said guide-rolls along said guideway.

15. In a curtain-fixture, a spring-actuated curtain, guideways adjacent said curtain, shoes mounted on said curtain to reciprocate with respect thereto and spring-pressed outward to cooperate with said guideways, rotary guiding members in said shoes to engage said guideways and to be rotated thereby and means to contact with said guiding members to automatically vary the freedom of movement of said guiding members and to allow them to move more freely along said guideways in one direction than in the other direction.

16. In a curtain-fixture, a shoe to be pressed into cooperation with a vguideway, the said guideway, said shoe being provided with a grip, a guide-roll mounted in said shoe to coperate with said grip, said grip and guide-roll having relative movement, said guide-roll engaging said guideway and means whereby the roll is forced into engagement with said grip when the shoe is stationary and said guide-roll being automatically disengaged from the grip on movement of said shoe along saidguideway in one direction.

17. In a curtain-fixture, a curtain, shoes mounted on said curtain, means to press said shoes into cooperation with guideways, the said guideways, each of said shoes being provided with a grip and a guide-roll mounted in the shoe to coperate with said grip, said grip and coperating guide-roll having relative movement, and means whereby said grip and guide-roll are forced together when the shoe is pressed into coperation with said guideway, and said grip and guide-roll being automatically disengaged on movement of the shoe along the guideway in one direction.

HENRY H. FOR'SYTH.

Witnesses:

F. CoRNING KEALY, W. H. FoRsYTH. 

